LeoDaVinciYou've recently graduated from university. Congratulations! What do you think you've gained from the experience? How did you find the 'student's life'?

I found student life a little awkward, given that I was living in the student residences with people a full decade younger than I am. Still, it let me feel young just a little longer, and I did meet some truly wonderful friends. The greatest thing I’ve taken with me from my university experience is self-confidence. The first time I went to university I dropped out after my first year; the classes seemed too difficult and I was afraid that I didn’t have "the right stuff" to pass everything and earn a degree. It was a big decision for me to go back and try again in my mid-20s, but I’m glad I did. When I applied myself properly I did just fine. I feel that I'm ready now for whatever Life throws my way.

BruyereAs I know you're one of my favorite Canadians, or shall I say 'favourite' instead, what makes living in Canada special? Besides the frozen mooseburgers and sub zero temps of course!

I don’t know about moose "burgers" but I did have a home-made moose omelette once! It's hard to say what makes living in Canada special when I haven’t lived anywhere else, and so I don't have a basis for making comparisons. Canada is "home" and has been my whole life—what can be more special than that? When I can afford to, I'd like to travel and see the world, but I'll always want to come back to Canada, my home and native land. (True patriot love, in all thy sun's command… yup, I’m well and truly brain-washed!)

LeoDaVinciYou've recently moved to our nation's capital. How are you finding the change, and what do you miss about the Maritimes (certainly not all that rain...)?

I grew up only a few hours from Ottawa, so it's really like coming home again; it was a much bigger change moving away from Ontario in the first place. New Brunswick is a beautiful province—so hilly and green! It's called the "Picture Province" and rightly so! What I miss most leaving the Maritimes is my parents, who still live there. And of course I miss the good friends that I met while in university. I don't think it rained any more there than it does here, but there were fewer thunderstorms. I LOVE thunderstorms and we have had some truly spectacular ones since I’ve been back (actually, we're having one right now! Awesome!). I do miss the fog, though. Not the kind that sits everywhere and makes driving hazardous, but the pretty fog that you’d see sometimes hanging over the valleys or above streams. You see it in Ontario, too, but not nearly as often.

LeoDaVinciWhat would your ideal job be? Where would it be?

Ideally I'd like to work in the accounting department for a company connected to the travel industry—hotel, airline, cruise line... something like that. I have a college diploma in hospitality management, so it would be nice to pursue a career that allows me to apply both skill sets. Secretly, though, I want to do a lot of travelling and being able to take advantage of an employee discount would be a useful perquisite. I guess the secret is out now!

LeoDaVinciIf money and time were no object, where would you travel to?

Wow, I don't think I can pick just one answer. I've always wanted to visit the United Kingdom and Scotland in particular. Actually just put all of Europe on the list. And South America. Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Asia, the Middle East... A friend of mine recently quoted St. Augustine—and I quite agree with the sentiment—"The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page."

PagiedamonWhat are your hobbies?

I read—a lot—and like many of us here on the site I enjoy playing and creating quizzes and crossword puzzles. I've played the piano since I was eight years old, and I also play the flute, clarinet and saxophone. I like cross-stitching: I'm working on a large piece that I’m planning on giving to my sister-in-law, if I ever finish it. I've recently become addicted to a game called Betrayal at House on the Hill, a horror-themed board game that you play with tiles. I'm also a big fan of "time management" video games like Diner Dash.

LeoDaVinciYou were the one who got me hooked on the webcomic "Questionable Content". Which of the characters there do you identify with? How did you originally get hooked on it?

It's been so long now, I can't really remember how or when I first started reading the comic. I think it might have been recommended by the author of "Real Life Comics", which I started reading before "QC" but haven't kept up with. I look a little like Faye and I was accused just today of having her sass-mouth (by another friend who I've gotten hooked on the comic), but I haven't had her troubled life and I don't share her penchant for punching people. I'm a little like Marten in that I tend to be more shy and reserved. I admire Dora's entrepreneurial spirit. Sometimes I'm a little kooky, and then I'm more like Hannelore. Maybe that's the reason I enjoy the comic so much, because I find all of the characters relatable. Except, perhaps, Pintsize. I don’t have much in common with a maniacal, anthropomorphized robot.

kyleisaliveYou've been around on the site for over a decade! How much have you changed since then, on the site and/or off the site, and what do you think the future holds? (This is my way of asking a general question about your life.)

I can't even begin to describe how much I've changed. I joined the site as a shy, though opinionated and often quick-tempered, teenager. I debuted in the forums by getting my nose out of joint over an argument with a (former) editor and making a public issue out of it. Today I am still shy but not as much as I was, and I'm much more relaxed and easy-going. I'm still opinionated, but much more open to, and less threatened by, opposing viewpoints. In other words—I've grown up! I just graduated from university and I'm looking for work in my field. I'm working as a temp right now, but hopefully I'll find something permanent soon.

BruyereI think you and I arrived at FunTrivia about the same time LadyC, and I've seen you grow quite a bit over the years. Did any of the work you do with us as a volunteer editor help you make your career decisions?

Well, not really, no. I've always enjoyed reading and writing. I used to think that I wanted to be an English major, or study journalism, but in the end I didn't think it was wise to make a career out of the things I like to do for fun. I don't think I would enjoy them as much with deadlines to worry about. I have enough trouble completing Kyle's Quiz Commissions within a respectable time limit; I don’t think I want to live my life with editors breathing down my neck... Yup, I much prefer being on this side!

PagiedamonYou stopped being an editor on FunTrivia for awhile. What made you return to editing?

I actually stopped being an editor twice. The first time I resigned it was because I had become apathetic about editing. Each quiz I looked at got a neat list: "Q1 – Problems. Q2 – Problems. Q3 – OK. Q4 – Problems. Etc." I wasn’t connecting with authors, and I wasn't providing them with an enjoyable experience on the site. I stopped editing for several years and came back after college, but there was so much going on in my life that I couldn't commit the time; I resigned again, and stopped visiting the site. In the summer after my second year of university I started visiting the site again. There had been a lot of new developments, including the New Question Game, and I threw myself into that. All was going swimmingly until I got a rejection note that I didn't like from an editor who shall remain nameless. We exchanged notes—privately... I learned my lesson—and became good friends. I realized how much I missed the camaraderie of the site and the site staff, and I forget how it came up, but I mentioned to my friend that I would like to resume my role as editor if the opportunity ever came up again (for a rat who had twice deserted the ship). It did, not long afterwards, and I've now been editing in Literature and Humanities for two years. I think that's longer than either of my two previous editing stints. I've changed a lot between my first time as an editor and now: I've had jobs where I've supervised and trained other staff, and I've had more chances to work with different teams and groups to achieve mutual goals, both in the workplace and at university. I'm a much better editor now, I think, than I was before. I try to make each note I send to an author unique to the challenges that he or she may be facing. I try to help authors learn and grow—those who want to—rather than indiscriminately handing out itemized lists of problems. I've come to understand the value of encouragement, and that has made all the difference.

LeoDaVinciYou have quite a talent for writing - which of your quizzes did you have the most fun creating?

I've put a lot more effort, and more of myself, into the ones I've written since I rejoined the site in 2008. If I had to pick a few favourites, I would choose "It Wasn’t Me!", which was the first Author Challenge I completed, "What Is He On?", my first picture quiz, and "Sdrawkcab si Ziuq Siht" because it pushed me quite far out of my comfort zone as an author.

My favourite quiz is Ing's "What the Spell Check Mist: Typo Transfusion". I searched out Ing's quizzes specifically after I played one of her New Question Game questions and laughed hysterically for several minutes over her information section. "Typo Transfusion" is a great quiz if you feel in the mood for something whimsical. It's one of the very few quizzes I've given an Editor’s Choice award to. As an editor, though, this quiz is a bit of a headache. It attracts Correction Notes like you wouldn't believe!

PagiedamonWhat does your username mean?

Ugh! If I could change it, I would. My favourite online handle right now is Literographer, which I think suits me much better. When I found the site I was looking for quizzes about Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series. At the time I had just joined the Gabaldon fan site, Ladies of Lallybroch, where most of the users call themselves LadyThis or LadyThat. Caitriona was the closest Gaelic name I could find to Kristen, so I signed up at LoL as LadyCaitriona. Later that week I signed up at FunTrivia using the same name.

BruyereWho is your favorite Goddess? Why?

Guitar.

PagiedamonI know that you're an avid reader. What are your five favorite books?

Can I count a series as one?

The Outlander series by Diana GabaldonThe Harry Potter series by J.K. RowlingThe Dark Elf series by R.A. SalvatoreThe Power of One by Bryce CourtenayWatchers by Dean Koontz

kyleisaliveIf you had to ask anyone else a question, even if it were rhetorical, what would it be? (This is my way of asking a question that exhibits your personality.)

What is the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe and everything?

I find it hard to believe that you weren't connecting with authors and giving them an enjoyable time in your early editing days! I knew you used to be an editor years ago and can't recall if I ever worked with you then (I wrote a handful of quizzes in 2003, were you editing around then?) but you're certainly one of the most helpful and encouraging and 'connecting' editors now!

When writing do you prefer to pack your quizzes full of information to give quiz takers a comprehensive view of the topic you are covering, or do you like to spread little bits and pieces of tantalizing information in hopes the quiz taker will research some of avenues you have opened up with your informaiton?

Which type of quiz do you prefer taking, comprehensively written quizzes or ones which are shorter but open avenues to reseach if you wish?

When I'm choosing which information to include in a quiz, I tend to pick the things that I find the most interesting and hope that other people will, too. Beyond that, I don't really put much thought into it.

The quizzes I enjoy the most are ones where the author has put a little bit of humour, or a twist of some kind, or has a theme running through it. I prefer long questions where the quiz tells a story, rather than a boring, direct question with a boring, direct answer.

Edited by LadyCaitriona (Mon Nov 28 201108:50 PM)

_________________________Chan fhiach cuirm gun a comhradh.A feast is no use without good talk.